Engineering projects often suffer from recurring problems that are easy to recognize but difficult to describe precisely.
This glossary introduces a collection of working definitions used throughout this website to discuss patterns related to engineering processes, architecture, verification, traceability, compliance and technical debt.
Most terms are intentionally descriptive rather than prescriptive. Their purpose is to help identify, discuss and analyze engineering phenomena that may otherwise remain implicit.
These definitions are not intended to replace formal terminology established by standards or professional organizations. Instead, they complement existing engineering vocabulary by providing concise names for commonly observed situations.
If knowledge lives only in people rather than artifacts, engineering collapses into folklore. Operating outside the Scientific Method or breaking the Engineering Covenant is not a mere process failure—it is the ultimate betrayal of the engineering profession.